To Rise From The Ashes
by Aviator39
Summary: A little over a year after the Avengers happened an elf appears on the Bifrost. Barely clinging to life, she informs the Allfather that war is coming. Soon they must seek help from not only the other realms but from the Avengers as well. Note: Loki has been discovered to have been under the Chitauri mind control. He is good in this one. And Phil is alive. Team fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again! Yes I am starting my fourth story, and yes it is Loki centric. Any way, I love reviews and PM's are amazing to let me know what you guys think. So here we go.**

**Note: Loki has been forgiven for his actions in Thor and the Avengers when it was discovered that he was under the Chitauri mind control. He and the Avengers are friends now and he even consults for SHIELD now. Also, he knows the elf in the story.**

**Full Summary: **A little over a year after the Avengers happened an elf appears on the Bifrost. Barely clinging to life, she informs the Allfather that war is coming. Soon they must seek help from not only the other realms but from the Avengers as well.

Disclaimer: I publicly acknowledge that Marvel owns all rights to these characters. I only enjoy having fun with them. Also all quotes and assorted stuff are the property of their creators.

" A true warrior does not fight because he wishes to but because he has to. A man who yearns for war, a man who enjoys his killing, he is a brute and a monster. No matter how much glory he wins on the battlefield, that cannot erase the fact that he is no better than a rabid wolf who will turn on his friends and family as soon as his foes."

Heimdall gazed out over the newly repaired Bifrost. For once all was peaceful in Asgard; the Princes had returned and the kingdom prospered. He was startled out of his thoughts by something crashing behind him in the room that held the key to the Bifrost. He cautiously stepped into the room; he could make out the outline of a figure lying on its side. "Are you alright?" he called out. When he received no response he stepped closer until he was kneeling at the figures' side. Her dress was torn and covered in a mixture of blood and dirt. Gently rolling her over revealed her face, a face that he knew well. _"The Princess!" he thought. _Feeling something warm running down his hand he looked down to see it covered in blood from several stab wounds to her stomach. Clutching her to his chest he teleported to the throne room.

**In the throne room…**

"But Loki if you could learn to fight with a sword then you wouldn't be so exhausted after a battle." Thor argued.

"Why should I learn to fight with a sword when I can kill any foe by uttering a single word?" Loki countered.

"Boys…" Frigga started but stopped when she saw Heimdall materialize. "Heimdall, what brings you away from the Bifrost?" she asked.

Heimdall stepped towards the queen the Elven princess still in his arms. "She appeared in the Bifrost room, you Majesty." He stated, kneeling to lay the girl down. Thankfully the bleeding had slowed to a trickle.

"Heimdall is that Aryia?" the Queen questioned kneeling by the unconscious girl. "Thor get your father. Now." she said and Thor exited the room, face a mask of horror.

"Someone get a healer." Frigga said.

"I can heal her mother." Loki said stepping forward and kneeling next to her. Green flames licked around his fingers as he reached for his magic. Healing magic was tricky, not only was in extremely exhausting but one wrong move and it could cause more harm than good. Once he had finished he sunk back onto his heels breath shaky.

"Frigga what is going on here?" Odin questioned as he strode in, Thor following close behind.

Frigga rose from her position on the floor and walked over to her husband. "Aryia appeared in the Bifrost room, she is badly injured. Loki managed to heal what he could without endangering himself." She said. "Something is terribly wrong, I know not what. We can only hope that she wakes soon and can tell us."

Odin seemed stricken by the news that the girl who was like a daughter to him was in such a state. "Let me see her." He said and Frigga led him to where Aryia lay with her head resting on Loki's lap. "How is she?" he asked concern evident in his voice.

Loki doesn't look up from staring at her face but replies, "I've healed any life-threatening injuries, but she still has dozens of cuts and bruises and what appear to be several broken ribs, most likely from crashing into the Bifrost room." Odin looked at his youngest son; Loki had never looked so concerned as he did now, not even when Thor was injured.

"Perhaps it would be best that she wake up someplace familiar." Odin said softly. "Your room perhaps Loki."

"Of course father." Loki said and lifted Aryia into his arms and walked out of the room. As soon as he exited Odin let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over his face.

"This can only mean that something is wrong on Aelfheim." He stated. "But I do not want to make assumptions, that only did more harm than good the last time."

"Perhaps you should consult Heimdall. He found her after all." Thor said, his hand clenched with the urge to summon Mjolnir. He was seething at the fact that someone would hurt Aryia in such a way. She, Loki and him had played together as children, but they not seen each other in many, many years when her responsibilities as the Princess of the Elves had taken precedence. "How could this have happened!" he shouted and thunder rumbled overhead.

"Thor! Calm yourself, anger will get us no where." Odin said.

"Please Thor!" Frigga pleaded. Thor unclenched his hands and sighed.

"What are we to do?" he asked distress evident on his face.

"We wait for Aryia to wake and pray that the situation is not as grave as we think." Odin said and sat down in his throne to do just that. Wait.

**In Loki's room…**

Loki carried Aryia to his room as gently as he could; he opened his door and placed her on the bed. He was sure she would appreciate some clean clothes. Moving to his closet he grabbed one of his smaller tunics and a pair of pants, turning back to the bed he realized he would have to cut through what was left of her dress if he didn't want to jostle her anymore. So he grabbed a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut through the garment until it fell away from her body exposing the full extent of her injuries. Her left side was covered in a mix of black and blue from her broken ribs and there were shallow slices all across her body. But what truly disgusted him was the dried blood he saw between her legs. He shuddered at the though of what she must have gone through. Grabbing a washcloth he soaked it in warm water and began to wipe off the blood, he looked at her face intermittently to see if she was in pain, but her face remained blank. Wherever she was she was deep within her mind most likely in order to protect herself. His magic now back to its full capacity he finished healing her wounds watching has the bruised skin was replaced with fawn colored skin. Throwing the towel away her dressed in the shirt and pants and covered her with a warm blanket, settling into a chair next to the bed he gazed at her.

"What happened to you Aryia?" he whispered, even half expecting an answer. It was nearly three hours later when she began to stir.

"Where am I?" Aryia wondered to herself. She surely wasn't in her realm, or what was left of her realm. The conquerors would never have been so kind as to give her a bed to sleep on. She recalled praying that someone would get her out and just make the pain stop. It would seem that her prayers had been answered, but what realm was she on. Slowly opening her eyes she gazed at the ceiling above her, it seemed familiar. Turning her head she saw a man asleep on a chair, a man she recognized. "Loki!" She thought. Asgard, she must be on Asgard! Thank the Gods!

"Loki." She said voice cracking from disuse. "Loki." She said more insistently.

Loki stirred and opens his eyes. A pair of cobalt ones staring back at him met him intensely. "You're awake." He stated and moved towards her. She was tense as if awaiting a blow for waking him. "Aryia, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." He said holding his hands in front of him palms toward her showing her that he had no weapon. Ever so slowly she relaxed and allowed him to help her sit up.

"How did I get here?" she asked eyes flicking nervously around the room as if searching for some unseen threat.

"Heimdall said you crashed into the Bifrost room, though not through the roof. It's as if you just appeared." Loki said.

"So my prayers were heard. Thank the Norns." She whispered.

"Aryia, what happened? Is there something wrong in Aelfheim?" Loki questioned eyes searching hers for answers.

"Yes, there is something very wrong in Aelfheim. But this information needs to shared with the King, Queen, and your brother. Not the council though, I do not trust them." She stated.

"I fear it is too late then. Father has already called the council to order after I took you here." Loki said.

"Then it appears that I will have to tell them as well." Aryia said and swung her legs out of the bed and pushed herself upright. She stood still for a moment as if waiting for her legs to give out. "Thank you Loki, for healing me. I'm sorry I do not appear more gracious but the news I carry is of the greatest and gravest importance." She said.

"I understand." Loki said and carefully grasped her upper arms as to not startle her. "We will help you in any way we can. You are like family." He finished more softly.

"Loki," she said. "I want you to know what you're the only one that I truly trust right now."

"You mean to say that you do not trust Odin, Frigga and Thor." Loki said.

"No, it is not that I do not trust them. It is that I know that they will do what is best for Asgard before anything else." She stated. Sometime during their conversation she had summoned a dress into her body and the circlet that indicated her rank rested on her head. Loki had turned to open the door, but stopped when he felt her hand on his shoulder. He turned and met her gaze. She reached up a placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thank you Loki." She whispered. For now that kiss was in thanks but later it would mean much, much more.

**Back in the throne room…**

"How do we know this isn't some ploy?" a councilman questioned earning shouts of assent from others in the group. Odin was quickly losing his patience with them; he only stood them because the people of Asgard would not approve of the King having no council. They had been arguing like this for the past four hours and even Frigga was beginning to look warm. He was startled out of his reverie by a voice saying, "My ears are burning, councilman Askr." And Aryia appeared from one of the shadowed doorways next to the throne followed by Loki who went and stood by Thor.

Aryia turned and knelt in front of Odin. "Your majesty." She said and waited for him to tell her to rise.

"Rise child, you need not bow to me." He said and walked down the steps of the throne to embrace her.

"You see a ploy, all she wants is the affection of the King." Another councilman said. Aryia stepped away from Odin anger burning in her eyes.

"Yes, I seek the affection of the King, because I seek the affection of father. And I can have none because my own is dead." She stated. The throne room was silent after she spoke.

"Surely you jest, your highness." Askr said.

"No I do not jest councilman. My parents are dead and Aelfheim is nothing more than a relic of what it used to be. The Dark Elves rebelled and slaughtered everyone save me." She said voice tight.

"Why did they spare you?" a councilwoman asked.

"Do you nothing of war?" Aryia questioned. "Of course you don't. I was their prized, their pet, their slave." Her voice chokes on the last word. Their eyes widen in horror and the women press their hands to their mouths.

"Aryia…" Frigga starts. She steps forward noticing for the first time how violently Aryia's hands were shaking. She was using all of her self-control not to break down in front of the court. "Odin perhaps you could dismiss them for now." she said. Odin nodded and dismissed the court much to the grumbling of some of the councilmen. Frigga stepped towards Aryia again, startled when she flinched back violently. "Child I'm not going to hurt you." She said softly and approached more slowly hands in front just as Loki had done. When Frigga did place her arms around her she found her self tugged into a crushing embrace. Aryia's hands clutched at the back of dress and her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body.

Frigga gently lowered them to the floor where her husband and her sons joined her. This was not the girl they had known all those years ago, she was still strong, but she was fragile and very close to the edge.

"Aryia can you tell us what happened to you? What we can expect?" Odin asked voice gentler than anyone had ever heard it.

Aryia lifted her head from where she had buried it in Frigga's shoulder. Taking a breath she said, "War. War is what you can expect."


	2. Author's Note

**Dear Readers,**

** Sorry for the lack of updates, but I am currently in my junior year of high school and as a result have a very busy schedule. I will try to update as often as I can, but know that I am not giving up on these stories.**

** Many thanks,**

** Aviator39**


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